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Snapshots for 8/4
There's no way that Don and I can cover all of the material we have for review in full reviews, so these capsule reviews will offer some brief comments on other recent releases.
BLUE MONDAY: PAINTED MOON #2
by Chynna Clugston-Major (Oni Press)
 Ah, masturbation humor. A staple of the teen genre in which Blue Monday excels, perhaps best done on the non-teen genre show Seinfeld in their great "The Contest" episode. Clugston-Major's take, as anyone who knows her style would expect, is borderline filthy and downright hysterical, reaching its apex when Bleu takes a number of, er, "study breaks" during the school day to enjoy her new pastime. I confess that as a guy, I have a hard time believing that Victor, a relatively normal (and certainly horny) high school guy has never tried it before, but it made for a nice contrast with Bleu and provided a great gag with Alan. The focus here, though, is definitely on female masturbation, and on the horny girl flipside to the horny guy cliche (and cliche or not, I'm afraid it's 99% true), with some classic panels, such as Bleu's "teenage lust" page and her sense that everyone must know what she's been doing. As always, Clugston-Major perfectly blends realistic teen angst with an exaggerated, often comedic style, and serves up comedy that makes you laugh and characters you can care about. 9/10
DAISY KUTTER: THE LAST TRAIN #1
by Kazu Kibuishi (Viper Comics)
 You've got to hand it to Kibuishi, I don't think anyone has really done the game of Texas Hold'Em as a major setpiece in a comic before, and I'm quite sure nobody has made it this much fun. I'm a Celebrity Poker Showdown addict anyway, so I have a certain fondness for the game, but Kibuishi really does capture the suspense, the bluffing and the surprise turns of the cards in his Texas Hold'Em game, and I was very surprised to see it turn up in a comic as a major set-piece, and even more surprised to see how well it worked. Of course, Daisy Kutter isn't about poker, really, it's about a gunslinger who retired to run a store, but who might find herself lured in for one last job. Western cliche? Well, sure, but Daisy's anything but your average gun-slinger, being both a heroine and living in a western genre that feels like what we might get if Miyazaki, Leone and George Lucas were to combine. Kibuishi's artwork is gorgeous as well, worth the price of admission even if the story weren't so intriguing. The story is off to a bit of a slow start, admittedly, but it's easy to guess where the plot is going, and the characters and action in this issue are compelling, with some of the most beautiful grayscale artwork you'll see in any comic this year. 8/10
RUNAWAYS #17
by Brian K. Vaughan, Adrian Alphona & Craig Yeung (Marvel Comics)
 One of the few benefits of this criminally under-appreciated series going on hiatus and getting a revamp for "season two" is that it adds another level of unpredictability to Vaughan's already unpredictable plotting skills. There's a moment in this issue, and you'll know it when you see it, that I thought I'd never see in this series, based on how important that character had been to the series up to this point. The reversal of the previous issue is explained this issue, as we learn the reason for the traitor's betrayal, and it makes absolute sense and is completely true to his character, all while turning him from great hero into potentially great villain. Then there's the reaction of the rest of the team, which is as uplifting and powerful a moment as superheroes get, especially the surprise arrival of someone we thought was out of the picture... in fact, every one of the characters gets a great moment this issue. Oh, and Vaughan drops another bomb on the last page, with one of his patented last-page cliffhangers, can't wait to see where that takes the epilogue issue. Special mention should also be given to Alphona, Yeung and colorist Christina Strain, whose work here is like a cross between the anime cel-shaded look and the unique look that Scott Kolins and James Sinclair developed on Flash, and which is no small part of the charm of this book. 10/10
TRUE STORY, SWEAR TO GOD #10
by Tom Beland (Clib's Boy Comics)
 I've lived in Austin for about 8 years now, and I've adopted it as the home I've always wanted. Don't want to leave, ever. However, I've had to face the prospect when thinking about it that I might have to leave it in order to secure a better job, and thus a better life for my family. Beland's story in this issue touches on a similar topic, although he's having to face the idea of leaving someplace he loves in order to be with someone he loves. He gets across the pain and fear of having to tell friends, co-workers and family that you're leaving in his typically honest fashion, with a smooth blend of realistic angst and light humor. If your sensibilities don't line up with Beland's somewhat introspective and emotional writing style, I could see where the issue might come off as a touch on the melodramatic side, but I imagine anyone who has been hooked in by the magical romance of the book will be right in line with Beland's occasionally sappy but undeniably heartfelt reminisces about the places and people he's leaving behind, and the woman who's worth it to do so. True Story Swear to God is a self-published romance comic that has been going for 10 issues and has gone to bi-monthly status... that is an heroic feat in this market, and if you haven't checked the book out, let this review (and the one for 100 Stories, also this week) be another nudge to at least give it a try. 9/10
Email Randy Lander comments about these reviews. |
